Meet Peyton Jones! Peyton is a sophomore Business Management major from Little Rock, AR. Peyton is involved in Emerging Leaders, Sophomore Council, Honors Path Program Student, Parent & Family Programs and Walton Honors College. A fun fact about Peyton is that her dad was her elementary school principal!
Transitioning from high school to college is a major step in any student’s life. It is a whirlwind of change! During this transition, your student may feel that they must have everything figured out, specifically they must know their major and/or career path. Personally, I believe this feeling all stems from expectations within ourselves and from friends and family. It seems that right after your student graduates high school, they are immediately bombarded with questions about what their major is and what they plan to do with that major. This can be an overwhelming experience! Of course, it is natural for loved ones to ask about your student’s future plans, but to a student who is unsure about their major, it can be stressful.
It is okay if your student is unsure about their major or career of choice. I repeat, it is okay! It is understandable if you are worried that your student is unsure about a major, but a large number of students are uncertain. When I toured the University of Arkansas, I was told the most common major for incoming freshmen is undecided. So, if your student belongs in this group, obviously they are not alone. I was one of those students who was unsure about a major, but I chose to tell people that I was a Psychology major. Honestly, I chose psychology as my major because I was a huge Criminal Minds fan. I thought I wanted to work for the FBI, specifically the behavioral analysis unit similar to the television show. I made all of these plans, ignoring the fact that what is shown on a television show, is NOT reality. I remember being in my psychology lecture one day and realizing that it was not for me. It was scary to realize that all of the plans I made before college were not working out as I thought. I was scared to change my major, but I knew that it needed to be done. The Career Development Center eased my nerves and helped me choose a major based off of my strengths. I know that I would not be a student in the Walton College of Business if it wasn’t for the guidance and resources of the Career Development Center.
The Career Development Center offers a wide range of services. Your student can take strengths assessments or participate in mock interviews. I took the Strengths Quest assessment and once I got the results, I set an appointment with a career counselor, and she helped me analyze my results. During this appointment, we discussed what majors and careers would best correlate with my strengths. This was an eye-opening experience for me because it introduced me to careers I had never heard of, but interested me. After the appointment, I felt confident in my choice to change my major. Currently, I am a business management major and I love it! Changing majors was one of the best decisions I have made in my college career so far!
The Career Development Center can not only help you discover a major and/or career, but they can also help you prepare for interviews for a job or an internship. First impressions are always the most memorable. Your student’s cover letter and résumé are the first impression to a business, so it needs to be great representation of them. The Career Development Center offers workshops during the semester to review your student’s cover letter and résumé, typically they are held in the Connections Lounge in the Student Union. These workshops are free, so there is no reason not to take advantage of this opportunity. Also, if your student is unable to attend one of these workshops they can make an appointment with one of the career counselors. Another way the Career Development Center can prepare your student for an interview is through mock interview appointments. Mock interviews will ease some nervousness your student may be experiencing. The skills your student acquires from the mock interviews and their improved résumé is great preparation for the many career fairs the U of A offers.
The U of A offers a career fair for all majors and fields and as well as career fairs specific to each college. These career fairs are a great experience for your student, they can learn about internships and jobs, and gain exposure to various businesses. Your student will be able to practice their elevator speech and build a professional relationship between themselves and a variety of companies. Career fairs are intimidating, but it is a great learning experience. If your student is nervous about going to a career fair, please let them know that it is normal to be nervous and that they are not alone.
The Career Development Center has helped thousands of students choose their major and/or career. I know that the U of A has great career counselors who will give your student many resources to help them choose their path. The Career Development Center steered me in the right direction when I chose my major, so I trust and believe they will do the same for your student. They offer many other services, so if you are interested in learning more about these services, please visit career.uark.edu.